The Diamond and The Stone
by Emptyroomscanbesoloud
Summary: This is an idea that wouldn't leave me alone. What if Katniss never loved Peeta? And what if she met another tribute during The Games, and fell in love? What if that other tribute was Cato? how would the story be different then? Rated T, for now
1. Prologue

A/N: Here's the first new and improved chapter of The Diamond and The Stone. The next one should be up in a week or so. Hope you like it!

The sun is beginning to set as the anthem begins to play. The death recap is short today, just one tribute, but from my hiding place she can't see who. Her first thought is of not of Peeta or his safety, and the guilt that's lived in her chest since this thing between them began settles a little deeper. The anthem fades with the last of the sunlight, and the sounds of the forest resume. She knows that sleep is not exactly safe, but it's been three days since she was last able to sleep, and her vision is beginning to blur at the edges. She reasons that she'll drag some plant life in front of her hide out to conceal it better. The arrangement of the rocks has her reasonably hidden, but she'll take no chances tonight. She darts the twenty yards to the stream to refill her water bottle, then works at camouflaging the cave. It's hardly her best work, but it'll have to do until morning.  
>She covers the floor of the cave in pine needles and settles in as far towards the back as she can. The sounds of the mockingjays echoing each other's calls is what finally lulls her into a troubled sleep.<p>

:.:

A familiar male voice draws her to consciousness.

"Katniss. Katniss, wake up." The voice is rougher than it was a few days ago, and far more desperate than she's ever heard it. Her eyes open slowly as she sits up, but her hand is already gripping her knife. Can't be too careful this far into the Games. His face slides into focus, and she thinks she sees him smile for a second. It vanishes a quickly as it was ever possibly there. She feels safer already with him here, though she knows she shouldn't. If they were anyone else anywhere else, she might cry. As it is, she releases her grip on her knife and hesitantly reaches out to touch him, if only to be sure he's real and not another of the capital's cruel illusions. (The screams of the jabberjays still echo in her ears.)  
>The reality of it hits her hard and fast. The cannon yesterday did not belong to him. It might have belonged to Peeta, and she wouldn't really mind if it was. It's better than having to kill him herself. There are four of them left. They don't have much time left in the arena. In the faint light filtering into the cave, Cato looks like he always has: dangerously attractive and poised to kill, and she is thankful that there are no cameras in here.<p>

"Who's left?" She has to know, wants to remember the names of the tributes that will either kill her or be killed by her.

"Hello to you, too," he smirks. Katniss frowns at him, and he seems to realize that she's all too serious about this. Now is not the time to be playing their game. In this moment, they need to be allies, not friends, certainly not lovers.

"You, me, the girl from five, and your Loverboy." He ticks them each off on his fingers. Peeta is still alive, somehow. Hopefully Thresh gets to him before they do. She regrets that thought, but it's still true. She' rather not kill Peeta. Actually, she couldn't live with herself if she did, certainly couldn't return home. Killing your District partner simply isn't done, even amongst the Careers. A few years ago, the boy from six had killed his district partner, brutally murdered her. He kept her alive as he sliced through her arms and legs, and Katnis remembers forcing her mother and Prim away from the screen as the boy crushed the poor girl's skull with the heel of his boot. The careers that year turned on one of their own and ripped him to pieces. She also remembers her shock at learning that even the Careers have a sort of moral code. She refuses to let herself become that boy.

Cato's talking, and she makes an attempt to listen, but she's too busy trying to find a way to not be the one who kills Peeta. He congratulates her on such a well picked hide out, near water and food and easily camouflaged. He asks for food and Katniss digs in her pack for the last bits of jerky from Haymitch.

"Haven't eaten since Clove died. No time," he explains. He looks like he hasn't slept since then either. Katniss pats the ground beside her, and he shrugs off his pack and crawls to the back of the cave. He leans against the sloping wall, and covers her hand with his. "What's our plan?" She hasn't got one, is the thing, but he doesn't need to know that yet.

"Sleep now. You look like you need it. We'll come up with a plan tonight." Cato agrees easily enough, lets her take watch as he rests his head on his pack and closes his eyes. She watches him fade from consciousness and then turns her attention to the forest around them.

:.:

Katniss wakes Cato as the anthem begins to play. Tonight the light fades faster than it ever would outside the arena and reminds her of the Game maker's power. There are no faces in the sky tonight, which means that the Capitol citizens will be unstaisfied, which means that the Game makers will be at work tomorrow, killing them off and forcing them together. While Cato slept, she came up with a plan that might stall the Capitols' hand for a few days.

The plan isn't complicated by any means, but it will complicate things for her. Her District will probably hate her. It will end all the lies and speculation about her and Peeta's "relationship" It'll confuse Haymitch and whatever few sponsor she has left. But it'll definitely bring in more sponsors, and give the Capitol something to salivate over. She explains her plan to Cato, and he thinks that the benefits far outweigh the negatives. They agree that it should be casual, and not forced. Tomorrow morning, they'll put it into action.

:.:

Cato wakes her with the sun, and he asks her if she's ready to start. She responds by taking his hand and leading him out of the cave. This will be the first the audience has seen of her in a few days. From their point of view, she'd been hiding out, probably waiting for Peeta. When Cato had found her cave, they'd probably thought the worst. But there was no cannon and her picture wasn't projected into the sky, so who knows what they think she and Cato have been doing.

They head a little way into the forest as planned, holding hands and walking close together. Katniss even plays it up and rests her head on his shoulder. It's far more affectionate than they are when they're alone. Gathering food safe to eat isn't hard for her, but he seems to have no idea what he's doing. She fills her pack with roots and leaves and even a few berries. He almost eats nightlock berries straight off the bush. Katniss pretends to laugh and quickly knocks his hand away from his mouth.

"Nightlock. They'd kill you before they reached your stomach. Here, try some of these." She offers him a handful of berries and follows them up with the kiss that will confuse - and hopefully delay - the Game makers and all of Panem.


	2. Chapter One

A/N: a big thank you to those who reviewed and left suggestions! Now for a bit of back-story. Peeta and Katniss became close friends after the whole burnt bread things, but neither has romantic feelings for the other. ( Nor will either develop any, at any point in this story.)

Disclaimer: I do NOT own THG. If I did, Cato and Peeta would be shirtless the whole movie, and Katniss wouldn't be so stubborn in the books.

Chapter One

Cato

The first time I see her- for real and not on a TV screen- is from a distance. My chariot has already come to a stop, and Clove and I stand watching the other tributes. In my head, I decide which will be the best (temporary) allies, and which will be the most fun to kill. I'm not particularly worried about competition, although the boy from Eleven does seem pretty well built. Even if he is bigger and stronger than me, I still have the upper hand. I've been training for The Games since I was six years old. I'm not impressed by the boy from twelve- he may seem strong, but when it comes to killing, I have no doubt he'll ultimately fail. The girl however… she has this look in her eyes, this fire burning there. This look tells me she'll do whatever it takes to reach her goal, which in this case is survive. She stands tall, thin, but muscular. She's not bad looking either.

When their costumes alight, I merely raise an eyebrow. Clove, however, jabs me in the side with her pointy elbow. "Look at them! Blowing kisses to the crowd…and, oh god! They're holding hands!" I roll my eyes at her antics. It appears I was the only one who had seen her swat Fire boy's hand away before tensing and letting him hold her hand, just barely. Well, now I can use that little bit of information against them, if they try and turn it into some doomed lovers angle. I guess I'll keep observing them, because she could pose a threat to my imminent success. I grit my teeth when the crowd begins cheering their names, their actual _names_, because that means they care enough to find out. And if they care enough, they'll sponsor you, and sponsors can be the difference between life and death in The Games.

As they enter the City Circle, I see the girl trying to pull away from Fire boy, but he whispers something in her ear that makes her relax a bit. President Snow comes out to begin his long, boring speech and to play the anthem. But as the Circle darkens, I find it harder and harder to tear my eyes from the glow of their costumes. It's not until the chariot move again that I realize I've spent the whole time staring at them, more specifically staring at her. The girl on fire.

[.] [.] [.]

Katniss

I'm so glad that the debacle that was the tribute presentation is over. I'm also furious at the stunt Peeta pulled. As we step off the chariot, we are engulfed by our stylists, Haymitch, and Effie. Portia rushes up to us and hugs us both. "Peeta, I'm so glad you caught my hand signals! Presenting tributes as a united front is not often done, and that combined with your marvelous costumes will have you the conversation of the Capitol!" Oh. So _that's_ why Peeta was holding my hand…makes sense I guess. It'll either make or break us; seen as an unusual presenting, or seen as an act of rebellious defiance towards the Capitol. Cinna and Octavia herd me into my prep room and help me out of my body suit. They give me simple grey lounge pants and a black tank top to change into. My feet ache from the boots I wore, so I decide to walk barefoot back to my room.

Half a dozen others wait in front of the elevators. On a second look, I see it is mostly Careers and their mentors. Both the enormous boy from Two and his female counter part are speaking with their mentor, the girl from One and the boy from Four are flirting as his mentor looks on disapprovingly. I stand of to the side a bit, and once the elevator comes we all squeeze in. I am smushed between the boy from Two and the girl from One. They both easily outweigh me by fifty pounds, and are much taller, but I try to shrug this off because I am still well muscled for a person my size. I, of course am the last one off, and I step into mine and Peeta's apartment, all of the lights are off, but the TV plays a recap of tonight's presentation. Haymitch is asleep (or unconscious, hard to tell which) on the couch, and the remote has fallen to the floor beside him. I tiptoe over and shut off the television, and throw a blanket over Haymitch. Yawning, I make my way to my room, where I fall asleep on top of my covers.

[.] [.] [.]

I am woken by Effie standing over me trilling about what a "Big, big day it is!" I stretch and roll out of bed so that I can take a shower. Of course, I come out twenty minutes later with nearly burnt skin and smelling like peaches and cream. I vow to myself to get the hang of these damn Capitol showers before I leave. I dress in the clothes Effie left, maroon shorts and a black t-shirt, both made of some of the softest material I have ever felt. White athletic shoes sit on a chair by the door and I pull them on and lace them before going out to face the others for breakfast. Effie, Peeta, and Haymitch are all seated around the large table eating. When I sit down, Haymitch grunts hello and Peeta shoots me a smile from across the table. We eat in silence, and when we are finished, Haymitch begins to brief us for the training session today. "So, let's get down to business. Training. First off, if you like, ill train you separately. Decide now."

"Why would you coach us separately?" I ask. "Say you had a secret skill you might not want the other to know about," says Haymitch. "Well, it's fine with me if it's fine with you," I offer to Peeta. He nods in agreement before replying, "We don't really have any secret skills. I mean, I've eaten Katniss' squirrels, and she's seen me lift hundred pound bags of flour in the market." I shrug and Haymitch _almost _smiles. "All right then, lets head down to the Training Center." When Peeta stands up I nearly groan. We are not dressed identically, but our training outfits definitely match. He is wearing a black t- shirt and maroon shorts that are a male version of mine. His shoes, though black, are the exact same design as mine. Perhaps it is tradition to dress tributes from the same districts alike. Effie wanders off to do her own thing while Haymitch leads us down to the Training Center. Though it is just barely ten o'clock, we are the last to arrive. The rest are waiting around for the trainers to arrive and warming up. Haymitch waves goodbye and reminds us not to show our strengths just yet.

At exactly 10:02 trainers and demonstrators spill into the room. The head trainer named Atala, reads a list of skill stations and then a list of exercises we can take part in. there's everything from rope tying to spear throwing. I can tell Peeta is eyeing the camouflage station, but I personally can't wait to try hand to hand combat. It's definitely a skill I need to improve. Atala finishes her introduction, and everyone splits off to do their own thing. I march straight over to the mat set aside for hand to hand combat and join the group there. The trainer pairs us off, and I get stuck with the large boy form Two, who I learn is named Cato. He comes off as arrogant, ruthless, and extremely cocky. We are slated to fight last, so I wander off to the rope tying station to improve my basic snares.

At some point Peeta joins me, as does the small girl tribute from Eleven. She has dark skin and eyes, but she is so similar to Prim in size and mannerism that I bite my lip to keep from tearing up. While work on a snare that could potentially hoist competitors into the air by the leg, Peeta leans over and whispers in my ear. "Her name is Rue." Rue, like the flower that grows in the Meadow back in Twelve. Rue and Prim, both delicate little flowers that were subjected to the cruelty of randomness. The only difference is my flower had some one to save her. "She seems to like you," he continues, "maybe she could be a good ally?" I nod. "We'll see what she can do." I hear my name called from over by the training mats. The combat instructor is waving his hands about looking for me. I hurry over to join them and notice almost every one else has left for the day, and that's a good thing, because I think I'm about to make a fool of myself. I step onto the mat, and Cato follows my lead. "Shake hands" the trainer instructs. We do, and his grip is vice like. "On my count, begin. One, two…three!"

Before I can even step forward, Cato lunges. Within seconds, he's got me pinned to the rubber training mat. He's panting, and victory shines in his eyes. I'm about to show him how overconfident he is. I pretend to struggle for a moment, and he chuckles darkly. Poor boy, he thinks he's won. I arch my back and suggestively shimmy my hips under his, and his eyes go wide for a moment. He quickly recovers, and his stare turns feral while a smirk begins to form across his lips. He grinds his hips back into mine, and I immediately take advantage of his distraction. I roll, taking his weight with me, so that I am now straddling his chest, my sneakers pinning his arms to the ground. Cato narrows his eyes and tries to buck me off to no avail. Grinning, I lean down and whisper in his ear," I win," before pushing myself off of him, making sure to push the air out of his lungs as I go. "Good match," says the trainer halfheartedly before leaving to join everyone else.

To my surprise, the number of tributes remaining in the training center has shrunk even more. Only the girl from One remains, and the boy from four. They're over with the dummies, slicing and stabbing and beheading. Neither bothers to glance my way as I head towards the elevators. I step inside the glass box, thankful that they move quickly and the ride will take no it time at all. Just as the doors are sliding closed, Cato slips inside. I grimace and shift away from him. We both reach to push the buttons for our floors at the same time, and his fingers brush against mine, which is confusing since he's floor two and I'm twelve. I look again and see that he has pressed the button that takes you straight to the roof tops. I wonder why? Cato clears his throat and I glance over at him. That damn smirk is still stretched across his face.

"That was an interesting technique back there…the distraction and all. We should get together and practice, say… my room, tonight?" He grins devilishly and raises his eyebrows. I laugh in his face and sneer. "You wish!" there, that ought to show him just how _**not**_ interested I am. "Feisty are you? You're lucky I like that. It's too bad that I'll be killing you in the arena, Fire girl." I clench my teeth and mutter, "I highly doubt_ you'll_ be the one killing _me_." Cato raises an eyebrow. "Oh, really, Twelve? Then be prepared to be wrong. You'll be mine in the end. I'm saving you for last, you and Fire boy. Maybe I'll even let you watch while I kill him? Would you like that? I know the Capitol will just _love_ it." I gulp nervously. It's like he knows exactly how to get inside my head, knows what makes me tic. "Oh, and I know you and Lover boy aren't really as united as you'd like everyone to think. I saw you pull away from him on that chariot." I frown. "We are united. We are going to be allies. And one of us will win." I sound like I'm trying to convince myself more than anything.

"You're a horrible liar, little diamond." He smiles wider, as if he knows he's gotten under my skin. The elevator dings and the doors whoosh open. As I hurry away, Cato shouts, "you'll be mine, and don't forget it. Upon hearing his words I stumble a bit, the edge of the apartment door digs into my hip, where I have bruises from being slammed to the ground. I shake my head as if to rid it of all Cato – related thoughts, and fumble my way through the darkness to my bedroom. I change into pajamas and crawl into bed, but somehow I can't shake the feeling that I won't be able to sleep tonight, no matter how hard I try.

[.] [.] [.]

I was right, I can't sleep. My mind just won't shut up. I glance over at the digital clock on my might stand. It's bright red lights read 4:30. I sigh heavily and roll out of bed. I shrug on a soft black sweater over my grey tank top and black shorts, but don't button it. I think I'll go up to the roof, get some fresh air. Cato _ must _ have left by now. I cross my room and open the door as quietly as possible. After a quick glance around to make sure no one is in the living room, I dash to the elevator. I push the button above the already lit twelve and sigh in relief. I didn't get caught leaving the apartment! This thought makes me smile a bit. The elevator ride lasts all of twenty seconds, and then I am stepping into the cool fresh air. The roof is not lit at night, but as soon as my bare feet hit its tiled surface I see his silhouette, black against the lights that endlessly shine in the Capitol.

There's quite a commotion going on down in the streets, music and singing and car horns, none of which I could hear through the thick glass window panels in my room. I could slip away now without him noticing me; he wouldn't hear me over the din. But the night air's so sweet, I can't bear returning to that stuffy cage of a room. My feet move soundlessly across the tiles. I'm only a yard behind him when I say, "you should be getting some sleep." He starts but doesn't turn, I can see him give his head a slight shake. "I didn't want to miss the party. It is for us, after all." I come up beside him and lean over the rail. We are both silent for a moment before he addresses me. "Come to take me up on my offer?" Cato smirks and turns to face me. " As if!" I bite back but keep my gaze on the skyline, lest he see the blush creeping its way onto my cheeks. "Actually, I couldn't sleep. I keep thinking about the interviews, training… the arena. The arena is what troubles me most. Will it be a barren desert or a frozen tundra? What sort of weapons will they provide?" I can feel his stare on as I ramble on. "I know what you mean" Cato, actually being serious? It couldn't be. "It's hard to decide who to kill first." And there it is, the Cato every one knows and despises. His twisted smirk grows at my look of disgust. He scoots closer to me, so that our arms are touching.

"You must be freezing up here; you've got next to no clothes on. I'll warm you up if you like." He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, and I shove him away with a snort. I guess I've underestimated my own strength, because Cato stumbles back and falls, hitting his head or the rails as he falls. "You little bitch," he snarls. His cheeks are red with anger and his nostrils flare. He scrambles up and grabs both of my arms, pinning me between the rails and his body, I never really noticed just how utterly _huge _he really is. "You'll pay for that." He raises his hand to strike me, and I swiftly bring me knee up into his groin. He grunts heavily, and I slip under his arms and make a run for the elevators. Two large arms lock around my waist before I'm halfway there. Cato roughly spins me around, arms still wrapped around me. I try to push him off, but even though I'm strong, he's twice my size and much, much stronger. Frantically, I try pushing him away, but he simply readjusts his arms so that they pin my own to my sides. Our eyes meet, but I look away quickly; I can see the fury burning in his. He leans down, but I never find out what he intended to do, because I look up at the same time. Our lips sort of bump in a kind-of-maybe-almost kiss. Even though it probably doesn't count as a kiss, my face flushes with embarrassment. Cato's grip starts to loosen, and just when I think he's _finally _going to let go, he ducks his head again and kisses me. For real this time. An actual, on purpose kiss. I surprise my self by kissing him back.

A moment later my senses return to me, and I pull away. "No one finds out about this," I say tersely. "Agreed," he growls before releasing me. I rub at my sides where they ache from his arms. "Did I hurt you?" he asks, his voice a bit less furious. I pull up the side of my tank top and examine my torso. Thankfully, only one small bruise is forming, on the left side of my ribcage. Almost hesitantly, Cato reaches up and traces the darkened spot of skin. I shiver, both from his touch and the night air. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I get a little carried away, especially when I get… pissed off." I pull my shirt down and step back a little. He switches from furious to calm so fast it makes my head spin. "I've got to go," I blurt before bolting to the elevator. I can feel him staring at me, even though I make a point not to make eye contact as I the doors close.

[.][.][.]

Cato

This isn't supposed to happen. I'm not supposed to have feelings, because I'm a monster, a cold, cruel killing machine - and that's all I will ever be… right?

A/N: I wasn't too sure about the ending myself, but I hope you all enjoyed! Thank you all so much for the reviews and favorites, my inbox was so full when I finally checked it this morning .


	3. Chapter Two

A/n: thanks for all of the lovely reviews! I have a few things I'd like to make clear; because an anonymous reviewer pointed out that I wasn't very clear about this. In the last chapter, when Cato says Katniss makes him feel things, he means things other than bloodlust and such. He doesn't necessarily _like_ her yet, but he feels confused that he actually has the ability to feel things other than rage and a sort of sadistic pleasure. So, he's not in love with her…yet, that will take a _**lot**_ of time for both of them. They will be later in the story, as made obvious by the prologue (which, by the way, is set way into the Games). Also, I did directly quote some things directly from the book, and will probably continue to do so throughout this story. Sorry for the long authors note, I jus wanted to clear some things up .

Cato

"The thing is… well, winning won't help in my case, because the girl I like…she came with me." The crowd gasps, and some of them burst into tears of despair at the tragedy that is the star- crossed lover's fate. Caesar sighs sympathetically as the cameras flash to a close up of Katniss. She is sitting, eyes trained on the hands clasped tightly in her lap. The color of the blush spreads across her cheeks could rival the fiery red of her dress. Even on the large television in District Two's private screening room, I can tell she's embarrassed. And not in the traditional schoolgirl "oh! He likes me too!" way. More in an "I can't believe you did that in front of the whole country I'm going to strangle you" kind of way. So, Loverboy thinks he's got a chance with her? He's about to find out how wrong he is. She is MINE. The girl on fire belongs to me. Who cares if I only want her so that no one else has the pride in knowing they were the one to extinguish the flames in her eyes? Nobody takes what is mine. I have officially staked my claim on her. Breadboy, you've just signed your own death warrant.

Katniss

I can not believe he just did that! I thought of all people, I could trust my best friend, but apparently he's out to get me too. What was he thinking, making me look weak like that in front of all of Panem! He _humiliated _me out there, and for what? An edge? To throw me off my game? As soon as he's off stage and out of camera sight, I shove him. Peeta goes toppling back into a potted plant, and it shatters. Dirt and blood mix on the white tiled floor. I start screaming unintelligible things at him, things even I don't understand. Two large arms clumsily grab me from behind, and I realize that the whole time I've been screaming, I've been inching closer and closer to Peeta. I whirl around to see who has dared try and stop my tirade. The smell of liquor quickly overwhelms me, and I know without the confirming glare that Haymitch has tried to prevent me from murdering my fellow tribute. "Whoa, there sweetheart! Don't go killing the lad who's just given you an unbeatable edge." I grit my teeth and spit, "An edge? He made me look **weak**!" Haymitch shakes his head as though disappointed in me. "No, sweetheart, he made you look _desirable_. Your costumes, yeah they'll stick in their mind for a while, but this is the Capitol we're talking about. They live for this kind of thing. Before, you were just the giddy, brainless girl whose dress caught fire when she twirled. Now, now they'll have to remember you."

I let his words sink in, then carefully respond. "Did you…could you have believed I loved him too?" Haymitch shrugs. "Not the best reaction, certainly not the one I was hoping for, but we can work with it. Besides, if we'd told you our strategy, you'd have totally failed us with your response. You're a _horrible _actress." So it's all a strategy. I turn to Peeta. "You're not really in love with me?" I demand. "No. Well, not like that. You're my best friend, I love you the same way I would a sister. It's just a strategy Haymitch and I came up with after you kind of failed at your practice interviews with him." I sigh in relief. "Oh, well then I'm sorry about your hands. And for blowing up on you… just give me a little warning next time you drop a bomb like that on national television." He grins before replying," will do, Kat." I frown at the nickname, but let it slide since I kind of just assaulted him. Just then Effie rushes up, eyes wide. "Katniss! Mind your manners! Pushing people is downright rude!" Haymitch lets out a loud laugh at her obliviousness. "It's all right Effie, it was just a misunderstanding," Peeta tries to smooth things over before they get out of hand. Effie, ever the drama queen, still feels the need to call a few peacekeepers over. "This young man needs immediate medical attention!" Haymitch and I roll our eyes as Peeta tries to protest. "Effie, it's all right, it's just a few scratches." Effie heaves a dramatic sigh. "No, I insist! You could need stitches!" Peeta looks helplessly over his shoulder at us as the peacekeepers lead him to the infirmary. Great, I've lost a tribute before the interviews! Who knows how long they'll keep him in the infirmary before the Games!" apparently alcohol turns Haymitch into a drama queen too. "Haymitch, why don't you and I head back to the room and Effie can go check on Peeta, okay?" He nods drunkenly before attempting to push him self off the wall. Instead of walking forward, he falls flat on his face. Effie wrinkles her nose in distaste before stepping over him and heading in the direction the peacekeepers took Peeta.

I can't believe she just left me here with an unconscious Haymitch. I may be a tough girl from the Seam, but I can't carry a dead weight that's at least twice my size. I crouch down beside Haymitch and check to make sure he's still breathing. The stench of liquor assures me that he is indeed alive. I gag and attempt to lift him. I get him almost sitting up before he slips from my grasp and falls back to the floor. The loud thump must have alerted someone to our presence, because somewhere down the hall I hear a door open. I ignore it, assuming it's a capitol escort who'll just sigh in disgust and go back to their district's private recap of the interviews. I go back to trying to at least drag Haymitch to the elevators. I pause when I hear footsteps approaching from behind. Perhaps not all the capitol escorts are as stuck up as Effie, and one has deigned to help me. "Need some help there, girl on fire?" Or maybe some higher power hates me and has decided to send Cato of all people. I release my grip on Haymitch and turn to face Cato. "I _said_ do you need help?" he repeats slowly, as though I'm some sort of imbecile.

Though it kills me to accept help, especially from _him_, I nod tersely. I step back from my drunken mentor's body, and Cato leans down and scoops him up as though he weighs no more than a small child. Slinging Haymitch over his shoulder, Cato leads the way to the elevators. We wait for it in silence; the only sounds echoing in the hall are Haymitch's loud breaths and the muffled sounds of tonight's recap. Finally, the transparent glass box arrives, and the three of us pile in. I punch the button for the pent house and step back to grip the rails. Elevators- especially ones like this- remind me of the mines back home, and by extension, the mine explosion that killed my father. The last few times I've been in one of these, I've been a little more preoccupied, but now I have time to panic. My knuckles turn white, and my chest tightens. I know in the back of my mind I'm being ridiculous, but that doesn't stop the panic that fills me now. I can see that

Cato is looking at me strangely from the corner of my eye. The whole ride is fairly quick; as it has been each time I'm in here. I rush out of the elevator as soon as the doors open. I couldn't have stayed in there a second longer, or I would have gone mad. I am thankful that the penthouse is the only room on this floor, and we only have to walk a short hallway before we can enter the apartment.

I open the door and Cato steps inside, Haymitch still completely out. After unceremoniously dropping Haymitch on the couch, Cato waltzes over to the fridge and helps himself to a bottle of water. After taking a long swig, he smacks his lips annoyingly. "Oh, go ahead and help yourself to our things, I don't mind," I say drily. "Thanks, I will. It's the least you can offer me after I carried your drunken 'mentor' up here for you." _He's got a point_, I concede to myself. "Your place is nicer than mine." He remarks. I roll my eyes at his attempt at conversation. Neither of us is that type of person - at least, I don't imagine Cato to be a "people person". I myself avoid pretty much all social contact, unless it comes from Gale, Prim, Peeta, and occasionally Haymitch (though our conversations consist mostly of us insulting one another.) "Yeah, sure. You can go now." "Aren't you going to thank me for my help?" I clench my fists to keep from hitting something – preferably the idiot in front of me. "Thank you for your help. Now please leave." The words of gratitude that come from my mouth are so insincere a Capitolite could see through them. "I don't think I will. I'd like to get to know you better, little diamond. What goes on in that pretty little head of yours, huh?" His tone is so condescending that I fight to keep from punching him right there on the spot. "Why do you care so much? In a few weeks, one of us will be killing the other. I don't know what you find so fascinating about me, but I really don't want to know you. I'm sure all that lies behind the pretty boy/ ruthless killer mask is a sick and twisted mind. So, if you don't mind, please leave before I call for the peacekeepers and have them escort you out." To my surprise, he actually stands and leaves, but not before throwing me a confident smirk over his shoulder. I slam the door behind him. Once again, Cato has gotten inside my head.

Cato

She's right. All that's behind my exterior is a twisted mind. One that enjoys killing; practically lives for it. One that cannot stop thinking of all the different ways to put the out the light that shines so brightly from her eyes.

A/n: in my mind the tributes train for two weeks, that way the games last almost a month. That's why Katniss says they'll be killing each other in a few weeks, not a few days.

A/n 2 : I apologize for both the quality and length of this chapter. It is unbeta'd, I just wanted to get it out before I take a short break (see the following full note for details.) however, I will continue to write while on the break, though nothing will be published.


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